Portable chairs and smiling faces crowded the Brookhaven Village Shopping Center parking lot Thursday evening as Norman residents listened to various jazz artists during Norman’s annual jazz festival.

The Jazz In June summer concert series kicked off with three performances that were well received by the crowd, said Karen Holp, Jazz in June spokeswoman.

“The response I’ve received from last night’s show has just been amazing,” festival chairman Jim Johnson said.

The festival expects about 50,000 people or more to show up in total during the three-day event, said Doug Stiehler, festival board member.

The whole festival is put on by volunteers, even the board members are volunteers, Stiehler said. Stiehler said he has worked his way up through the ranks, going from a volunteer to a board member.

“The music part and festival was interesting, but I always had a feeling for community service,” Stiehler said. “This is my community service.”

The festivals first evening went off without any issues, even with the threat of rain looming overhead. The only thing to worry about during the first night was the chance of showers, but all that worrying was for nothing, Holp said.

“It began to sprinkle just as we were locking the doors and going home,” Holp said. “Great timing, the artists were very happy.”

Jo Ann Arps said she has only missed one Jazz in June, because she was out of town. She has attended the festival 27 times.

“We love it, it’s a community event,” Arps said. “You see the same friends every year, unless they have died.”

Volunteer Agnes Anthony said throughout her years as a volunteer at the festival she has sold T-shirts, signed in other volunteers and a variety of other tasks. Anthony said she sets aside this time of year to volunteer for Jazz in June before Jazz in June volunteer recruiters call her. All of the money to put on the festival comes through merchandise sales at the festival, grants, donations at the festival, donors and two fundraisers throughout the year, Stiehler said.

“If I wasn’t out here volunteering, I’d be out here listening,” Anthony said.

Friday’s show will be at Brookhaven Village, and Saturday’s show will take place at Andrews Park, providing the crowd with a different atmosphere.

“The atmosphere at Brookhaven is one thing and the atmosphere at the park is another,” Holp said. “Somehow the trees make the atmosphere different,”

The highlights of the concert will be broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. July 4 on the KGOU radio station. KGOU can be heard on FM station 106.3 in Norman.